Yet napping as a child care substitute has its limitations. Kids wake up unexpectedly or won't go down. And worse yet, they eventually give up their naps. So don't assume you can always work during nap time.
Dos and Don't of Working While Your Child Naps
- Don’t schedule anything that absolutely can’t be interrupted during naps. Conference calls come to mind. Having several other people plan to join you on a conference call only to be interrupted by a crying baby is embarrassing. You know that the one time your extremely regular napper wakes up will be during that call.
- Do have a back-up plan. If your child slept late or is beginning to skip naps, have a quiet time activity ready to substitute for the naps.
- Don’t count on meeting a deadline during nap time. Certainly you can work toward meeting a deadline while you child is napping. Or maybe you can put the finishing touches on a project that is due shortly. But plan ahead and don't leave a large amount of work for nap time.
- Do feel free to catch up on household chores or other non-work tasks. If your child’s nap schedule is unpredictable and your work doesn’t accommodate interruptions well, you may find it more productive to clear the decks of other tasks. Later when you have someone to watch your child, you won't be tempted to use that time to do other tasks.
- Do pay attention to your child’s signals about naptime. Napping schedules change over time. Infants drop the morning nap as they grow into toddlers. Preschoolers eventually drop the nap all together. Don't let your work schedule keep you from realizing that your child's sleep needs have changed.
